New York, March 13, 2024 —  The IRC has launched a new crowdsolving challenge in partnership with Wazoku and SeaFreight Labs. The competition Sourcing and Enabling Traditional Disaster Risk Reduction Approaches for Rural Afghanistan and Somalia calls for solutions designed to address the impacts of the climate crisis in two countries where the humanitarian impacts of natural disasters and alarming levels of food insecurity are particularly acute. 

The challenge will award US $15,000 in prize money to proposed solutions rooted in “disaster risk reduction (DRR)”, systematic efforts toward preparing for, responding to, and recovering from natural disasters. In recent years, DRR has gained traction as an important tool in the global response to the mounting climate crisis, particularly in contexts where other entrenched challenges have historically complicated efforts to deliver humanitarian relief. 

In addition to the regional focus on Afghanistan and Somalia, this challenge will also specifically seek out solutions that draw from indigenous knowledge and the innovative, technological approaches for preserving, promoting, and enabling these approaches. 

Tara Clerkin, the International Rescue Committee’s Director for Climate Research and Innovation, said: "Addressing the climate crisis at the local level will require ambition and most of all a spirit of collaboration. This initiative will focus on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in fragile and conflict-affected contexts, and we are looking to individuals and communities to help us determine and consider best practices from all around the world. Specifically, we are interested in identifying effective indigenous and traditional practices for DRR and the modern technological solutions to enable those practices. Being able to leverage global, inclusive expertise and creativity is a great way to begin this initiative."

This challenge is open for solver submissions for 30 days.  Submissions are due by April 8th, 2024.  The winners of this challenge are expected to be announced by the end of May 2024. Those interested in applying should visit Wazoku’s site. 

Those interested in the challenge can attend a short webinar with the IRC and Airbel teams about the topic, award, and background to the initiative, hosted this Friday, 15th March, at 9:00am EDT/14:00 CET/13:00 GMT. Sign up to view all the information at this link.